


More Than Just A Nindroid

by PetrichorEnigma



Series: MTJAN [1]
Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Angst, F/M, Heaven, Identity Issues, No happy endings, POV Multiple, Pain, Soul-Searching, poor zane, what does it mean to be human?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-12
Updated: 2014-08-12
Packaged: 2018-02-12 22:37:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 17
Words: 8,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2127081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PetrichorEnigma/pseuds/PetrichorEnigma
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Zane goes looking for his missing falcon, he finds himself in much more trouble than he bargained for.<br/>(Originally published on my old DeviantART account, krisskrossed, which I have since deactivated.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One: Zane's POV

**Author's Note:**

> The chapters are separated by POV changes, due to how I originally published this story. Sorry for any confusion! Significant plot breaks will be separated by rows of asterisks. Also, sorry that my paragraphing and dialogue spacing is sloppy at best.  
> MOST IMPORTANT NOTE: This fic is OLD. It doesn't represent my more recent work. I just figured I would re-upload it since I deactivated my DeviantART. I do not write Ninjago fanfiction anymore (at least for the time being. I may continue my work on Blurring the Boundaries, the sequel to MTJAN, but definitely not until I finish the laundry list of WIPs I have for fandoms I'm actually still a part of.)

"Zane." *FWAP!* "Zane!"  
I open my eyes to the sight of Kai, Jay, and Cole, my cheek stinging from their "wake-up call". I suppose I would have found this situation less unpleasant if my sense of humor was turned on, but I usually turn it off when I sleep. After all, it is not as if I need it then. I do not dream. Sometimes, the other Ninja talk about a crazy, funny, or scary dream they had last night. I wonder what it would be like to dream when they talk about this. But, all runaway hopes aside, I need to get moving. It is my turn to cook breakfast. It makes me happy, in my own sense I suppose, that everybody seems to like my cooking. It's odd. I thought I felt emotions before I knew what I was, but now that I know, I question those feelings. Were they emotions? Do I have emotions? I thought so. I also thought that I was human. Even a Nindroid makes mistakes. For now, I put those thoughts aside and get dressed. When I walk into our monastery's small kitchen, Nya has already pulled out the supplies to make pancakes. As I break the eggs into the bowl, my mind wanders back to my old home in the frozen forest, where my father taught me to cook. I have known what I am for about three months, and I still discover new memories every day. Yesterday, Kai accidentally bumped me in the head while we were playing video games, and it brought up a memory of hitting my head on a branch while chasing after my falcon. Speaking of my falcon, I have not seen him for at least two weeks. Where could he be? I collect my scattered thoughts and continue making breakfast.  
*************************************************************************************  
"Aw, Cole, no fair unplugging my controller!" "KAI! COME ON! I NEED YOU TO COVER ME AGAINST THIS ZOMBIE!" "Hey, Zane, are you alright?" Jay's voice snaps me out of another memory, this time of the guardian that my father built to protect us from the Treehorns. "Wha-?" My game controller slips out of my hand. "You've been acting weird, even for you, all day. Is something wrong?" So I have not done as good of a job of hiding my concern as I thought. When I began to worry about my falcon, I told myself that I was not going to let it interfere with my day. "Hellooo...Earth to Zane..." "Yes. Forgive me, my mind seems to be... elsewhere today." "I'll say," interrupts Cole. "I appreciate your concern, but I assure you that I am fine." Not really, but that's what I am going to go with. "Come on, Zane," says Jay, "there's definitely something wrong. What is it?" Well, I suppose I can't keep this from them forever. "Alright. I am concerned because I have not seen my falcon for at least two weeks. Normally, I see him at least every other day, so I fear that something may have happened to him." There. Now I don't need to keep this charade up for the rest of the day. "Hey," points out Kai, "don't you have that 'falcon vision' or something like that? Where you can see what the falcon sees?" I don't know why I didn't think of that before. I close my eyes and try to switch to falcon vision. All I get is darkness. What's going on? I try again, this time pressing my hands to my temples to try to intensify my focus, but I still can't switch. Maybe it only works if the falcon is within range? I run to the bridge. "Bridge," I stammer, "locate my falcon. Search all of Ninjago and the surrounding area." When I think about it, it is strange. One machine giving orders to another. What separates me from the artificial intelligence that controls the bridge? Nothing? I desperately hope that there is something.  
****************************************************************************************************************  
Just as I feared. The bridge's search did not find my falcon. My only link to my father is gone. Off the grid, vanished without a trace. Why did I not search for him sooner? I sigh. Sensei was right-never put off for tomorrow what can be done today. I know what I must do. However, to make it easier, I will need to wait until late at night. I just have to wait and hope that the rest of the day passes without incident. For the rest of the day, I think to myself, I will just lay low. I find a book and stretch out on my bunk. I have been reading for an hour or so when someone knocks at the door."Zane," says Nya, as she opens the door to the room that I share with my friends, "Jay told me that you're worried about your falcon." Of course Mouth of Lightning would tell his girlfriend. "It is true that I have concern for my falcon friend, but I am sure it will all work out. Thank you anyway for stopping by." I see a look of worry cross Nya's face before she closes the door. When I finish the book that I found, dinner is ready. At least it's not Cole's night to cook. After dinner, Sensei approaches me as I am clearing the table. "I heard about your falcon problem." I am willing to bet that it was Jay again. "Zane," continues Sensei, "do not give up hope." "I know, Sensei. Thank you." I have not given up. I cannot give up.  
*******************************************************************************************************************  
I glance into my small duffel to check my supplies again. Shuriken of Ice: check. Enough food and water for...however long: check. Blanket: check. One of Jay's many sets of glider wings: check. Change of clothes: check. Any idea when I will be back: negative. I locate paper and a pen and in my careful, precise handwriting, compose a note to my friends. After placing the note in my neatly made bed, I look around. It is dark in the monastery. According to my internal clock, it is exactly 2:45 AM. Time to go. I will need to travel in shadows to avoid danger, so I change into my ninja outfit. Taking care not to make any sound, I slip out of the bedroom, through the hall, and onto the deck of Destiny's Bounty. I take a deep breath, then jump. I precisely track each inch that I free-fall, so I can get out my shuriken in time to turn them into my vehicle. 3...2...1! With a bright flash, I land safely on the ground in my snow glider. Once I put away my shuriken, I scan my surroundings. Nobody around. Perfect. Now that I have started my journey, I can check the first place where I think my falcon might be: my old home. Based on the final bridge scan I did yesterday, I am somewhere in the vicinity of 95 miles away from there. As I tread gently across the snow-covered ground, I begin to reflect back on my previous pondering of my emotions. I walk for about 30 minutes before I encounter a bit of good fortune. As I am staring down at the ground, the pristine white of the snow is broken by a raven-black feather. At first, I think it could be any feather. However, upon further inspection, I notice that it is a synthetic feather. My falcon must have been here, and it must have been recently, because there is not any snow covering the feather. I may find my falcon and return to the ship tonight.


	2. Chapter Two: Jay's POV

"SPLASH!"  
I wake up to find Kai and Cole standing over me with a bucket of water, laughing their heads off. "Morning, Bluejay! Rise and shine!" I guess this is karmic revenge for the way we woke Zane up the other day. Speaking of Zane, why isn't he part of this little joke? After all, slapping him to wake him up was my idea, so I would think that he would be most eager to take revenge. "Aw man, really? Jerkwads." When I stand up, a nice pool of water is there to greet my socks. Yep, nothing says "good morning" quite like having to wear two bags of wooly water on your feet while you walk to the one laundry hamper in the whole freaking monastery. As I stumble groggily down the hall, Nya walks around a corner. "H-hi, Nya." "Good morning, Jay!" "Hi, Nya." She continues past me without saying anything else. A few seconds later, my mind starts working. "Wait, Nya." She turns back around, with a slight smile. "Yeah?" "Y-you look really pretty today. I mean, you look really pretty every day, but especially today. Wait, I mean you always look pretty, but I-" "It's alright, Jay. I know what you mean. Thanks," says that radiant angel who graces my presence, "but I really have to get moving. Sensei says that Zane left, and we need to find him before he runs into trouble." "What?!? Zane left?" My mind races, wondering if it was my fault. "Yeah, didn't Kai and Cole tell you? Zane left a note saying that he was leaving to find his bird. Zane's a nice guy, but he can be pretty weird sometimes." "Yeah? Try sharing a room with him, training with him, and fighting alongside him." "Bye, Jay." "Bye, Nya." I pause a second before murmuring "I love you" under my breath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter is short. Sorry about that, most of the non-Zane POV chapters are kinda short, since Zane is the main focus of the story.


	3. Chapter Three: Zane's POV

I turn the jet-black feather over and over in my hands as I continue my trek through the snowy forest. I have been going this direction for at least three hours, but I have not yet found another clue as to the whereabouts of my falcon. According to my calculations, I am still about five hours away from my old home if I keep up my current pace. As I gently step through the deep snow, weaving through fallen branches, I notice what look like animal tracks. I did not know that there were any creatures around here besides treehorns. I make a note in my memory to be wary of wild animals. After about another three hours of walking through what seems like endless forest, I think I see something out of the corner of my eye. When I turn around to see if there is really anything there, I feel the harsh pain of a powerful impact, followed by darkness.  
*********************************************************************************************  
When I awaken, there is a throbbing in my head where something hit me. My ankles and wrists are strapped down. Although my vision is full of patches of static, probably due to processors being damaged on impact, I recognize where I am. My assailant has brought me to my original destination: my father's old lab. I try to sit up, but a thick metal bar keeps my midsection held down. "Hello? Who are you? Why are you doing this?" I try to call out, but my voice is cracked and sounds like a phone call with a bad connection. Once again, I see the same glimpse out of the corner of my eye. "Hello, Iccccccce Ninja". That hiss. After all of our clashes with the Serpentine, I would know it anywhere. It belongs to-"Pythor! Why are you doing this, and what have you done with my falcon?" I try to break out of the metal arches that keep me held down. "Ah-ah-ahh, I wouldn't struggle if I were you. That shovel to the head cracked some power cellsss." I strain my neck to look at the wretched purple creature. I see a piece of blue paper in his hand. It is the blueprint that I found when my falcon led me here months ago. My blueprint. He knows what I am. What right does he have to do this? I feel anger rising inside of me. Unless- is it anger? I am so confused. If I didn't know what I was, I wouldn't question the authenticity of my emotions. Why can't- "Now, to anssswer your questions. Your falcon is right over there, and there, and there." He points to different piles of disassembled gears scattered about the room. Each pile has been topped with a single black feather. "As for why I am doing thisss, let me tell you ssomething. When that foolish boy let me out of the tomb, I was the only Anacondrai he found. I am the lassst Anacondrai. Now, if I am going to take over all of Ninjago, I'm going to need an army. Unfortunately, I ssseem to have fallen out of the favor of the other Ssserpentine generals. They don't want me leading their tribesss." "How does trapping me help with any of these problems?" "You didn't let me finisssh, you sstupid robot." For some reason, his comment does not bother me. I think at this point, I am too numb over seeing my only connection to my father disassembled and scattered around. "What are you going to do? Why have you brought me here? Wh-" "Sssilence! I don't take well to being interrupted. For at least a month, I've been making tripss to this little dump that you used to call home." "How did you find this lab?" "Sstrike one, ninja. My patience is running low. If you musst know, one of my troops was beneath the ground when you and your ssilly little ninja friends fought those tree creatures. He heard all of the noisse, and came to investigate. He found the door to this trash heap wide open, walked in, and the rest is history. He called me here, found these blueprints, and it didn't take long for my brilliant mind to figure out your little...sssecret. Now, back to the 'why' of all of this. Thanks to the idiotic citizens of Ninjago, the Serpentine are quite far behind in technology. Ssince, as I mentioned before, I have no more troops to do my bidding, I need to get my hands on advanced machinery. An army of Serpentine robots. Of course, being so far behind, blueprints aren't enough. We need an example. An example that can be disassembled, studied, then...disposssed of. That, my metal friend, is where you come in. You may not be particularly advanced, but you've managed to keep yourself in one piecccce... For now." "While I was waiting to catch you on your way here, I ssstudied this computer and how to use it." As he says this, he gestures to a large monitor with all sorts of cables and connectors coming off of it. I lay bound to the cold, tilted metal table, helpless as a memory of being connected to that computer surfaces. I remember my father connecting a thick red cable to my inner machinery after I had started getting strange spasms. I remember that being connected to that computer was the most excruciating pain I had ever felt. It burned every inch of me with invisible fire from the inside out, and my father had to watch me yell and writhe. He held my hand, wrapped his arm around me, and told me that it would be okay. The next thing I remember, I heard my machinery slowing down, whirring gently until it came to a complete stop. Then, everything went pitch black. A chill runs through my body as I remember the pain. I am snapped back to reality by Pythor's cruel hiss. "Between that and these blueprints that you carelessly left out, I now know enough about you to connect you to this computer, which will shut you down, and take you apart piece by piece." I suppose that explains why over all these years, I've never accidentally been shut down; I can only be shut down by the computer. "I am not the only ninja, as I am sure you know. My friends care about me, we are brothers. They will come looking for me. When they find me, you will most surely be defeated." At this, Pythor smirks. "You underessstimate me, foolish scrap pile. Did you really think that I wouldn't anticipate your friends looking for you? Of course I did. After closssely examining the plans and notes that your insanely stupid father left scattered about, I noticed a way to wipe your memory, allowing me to give you a complete reprogramming. I could turn you into a member of my army. You would have no recollection of your feather-brained robobird, your annoying fellow ninjas, or your father. It would be wonderful...for me."


	4. Chapter Four: Cole's POV

"I think you all know why I have called this meeting." I lean back in my chair. "Yeah, Sensei, we know. Our crazy robot friend left to find his weird falcon thing." "Cole!" scolds Sensei Wu, "That is no way to speak of your brother! I fear that he may be in grave danger." It seems like every single time something happens, the old man thinks that someone is "in grave danger". I flip my shaggy black bangs out of my face and jump out of my chair. I turn to Sensei and retort, "So let's find him. If he's in trouble, we kick his problem's butt. What's the big deal?" Kai and Jay both start yelling out random places, each of them trying to be louder than the other, until Sensei whacks his bamboo pole on the table between them. "ENOUGH!" Nya dashes in, looking panicked. "Bad news, guys. I ran a scan on the bridge. Not a single sign of Zane, even with every scan enhancement. Either he's more than five hundred miles away, putting him out of the scan range, or something's happened to him. If he's in trouble and we need to help him, we really need to start looking. The sooner, the better. Jay, like the lovestruck dunderhead he is, stutters out, "H-hi, Nya." "Yeah, hi." Kai smacks him on the back of the head. "Get it together, my sister doesn't speak spaz." Jay punches him in the arm, before Nya yells out, "Come on guys, this is serious! Zane could be really hurt!" Sensei nods in agreement. "We must go and find Zane. Jay, you and Nya go and run another bridge scan. Cole," he says, nodding at me, "You and Kai start packing up and thinking of where Zane might be, in case the scan provides nothing. We leave tonight."


	5. Chapter Five: Zane's POV

I am bleeding. Not like the other ninjas would if they got hurt, but in a way only I can. Pythor was right. The power cells that I only recently discovered that I have are badly damaged, and all of my power is leaking out. I can barely move, and I can do so less and less by the minute. The metal restraints that bind me do not exactly help with this problem, either. The only part of me that remains fully intact and functioning is my mind, and I do not know how much longer my captor will allow even that to be. For now, I am unable to do anything except lie on the cold, unmerciful steel table, practically paralyzed, and hope that my friends will find me before it's too late. According to the diagnostic algorithms I have been running, I have less than forty-eight hours until total systems failure. Death. I will probably cease to be able to move a few hours before, but my mind will be quietly ticking down until final shutdown. Apparently, the computer is not the only way to shut me down. Extensive damage can "kill" me. When my power cells are completely drained, I will be dead, just a toy without batteries. Pythor is busy typing long strings of code into the computer, and they flash on the monolithic monitor, like a judge handing down a guilty sentence. Based on what I can understand, they will make up my new programming when Pythor has finished with me. I am terrified of the possibility that I will hurt my friends under his command. Out of fear that my memories of my father will soon cease to exist, I begin to watch all of them in my mind, starting when I was first activated. When I get to the last one, his death, a single, silent tear traipses down my cheek. I feel like Schrödinger's cat; simultaneously, for all intents and purposes, alive and dead.  
*******************************************************  
If my vocal functions were still working, I would be screaming, If I were the slightest bit able to move, I would be thrashing about like a fish out of water.   
About ten minutes ago, Pythor finished writing my new programming. Once he mocked me and my current state of being for a while, he connected me to the computer to shut me down. A thin blue cable is connected to my left temple, making my head feel as if it is being pounded from the inside out. My scaly, purple tormentor holds up a yellow cord, as thick around as my wrist, and hisses, "This is going to hurt you a lot more than it'sss going to hurt me." I cannot fight back as he flips open the panel on my midsection, revealing all of my machinery, ports, and switches. I feel him inch closer and closer, and try to brace myself for the searing pain that is sure to follow. Unfortunately, nothing can prepare me for the shock of pure agony that rips through every inch of me. I would have rather died once my countdown reached zero in about forty hours than have invisible knives dragged through my arms, burning razors through my legs, and my chest simultaneously frozen with ice and scalding with lava. A message flashes inside my head, visible only to me. "WARNING: SYSTEM OVERRIDE IN PROGRESS. SHUTDOWN IMMINENT IN 10 SECONDS." The timer counts down, and with each tick of the clock, the anguish grows, reaching a crescendo at one. When zero flashes, everything stops. My final thought as myself, rather than Pythor's slave, crosses my mind:  
I am sorry.  
I have failed everyone.  
I deserve this.


	6. Chapter Six: Kai's POV

"Are you sure this is the right way? I think we've passed this tree before." I flip my red hood off of my head. "No, Jay. That was another tree." "Well, excuuuse me. It's not like we're in the middle of a giant, snow-covered forest, surrounded by thousands of trees, all of which look EXACTLY THE SAME!!!" Nya gives him an irritated glance. "You done?" Jay kicks a chunk of snow, then murmurs back, "Yes. Sensei, we've been walking for ten hours. Are you sure that this is the way to Zane's old house?" Sensei, without looking back at Jay, replies, "My memory may not be as sharp as it was in my youth, but do not doubt me. Patience, we have only a little further to go." Cole flips his bangs out of his face. "How do you know that he's even there, Sensei?" That's a good question, I was wondering that myself. "Call it intuition. Zane and I share a common trait, something that you might call a 'sixth sense'. We have very powerful predictions of what may be, My instincts told me to look here first. I have learned not to doubt my instincts..." What would it be like to see things before they happen? If I had known that I would join a group of ninjas, and become one myself...battling skeletons, snakes, and a guy with four arms... "Hey, Kai. Get the map out," snaps Cole. "Hey, Cole, ever heard of a little word, starts with 'p', ends with 'lease'? Yeah. You should try it sometime." I reach into my pocket and unfold a battered square of parchment. "Uh, it looks like we've still got about five miles to go." After walking in silence for another hour and a half, Sensei whacks his pole on the ground. "Stop." I glance at him, confused. "Why, Sensei? The forest where Zane used to live is straight ahead," I say, pointing in front of me. "I sense... that we are not alone. Travel by shadows." I flip my red hood over my face, which also brings a bit of relief from the stinging cold. After about five more minutes, Jay freezes, squints at a figure in the distance, then takes off, sprinting towards the horizon. He yells out, "ZANE!" We watch him get closer and closer to the figure, then stare in shock as he is struck to the ground by a golden shuriken.


	7. Chapter Seven: Jay's POV

I lay pathetically on the cold, wet ground, my shoulder bleeding ridiculously from the gash where Zane hit me with his shuriken. I'm in too much pain to move, so I have to watch as my blood seeps into the fluffy snow, making a sick red snow-cone. As long as I can remember, I've always puked at the sight of blood, especially my own. I guess I'm too embarrassed to have been caught off guard like that, or in shock from being attacked by my friend. "Jay!" Nya cries out, and tries to run to me. Before she can take more than a couple of steps, Kai leaps out in front of her. "No way, sis. You saw what happened, I'm not letting you get hurt." He turns to Zane. "Zane, what was that for? You could've killed him!" All eyes turn to the menacing figure looming over me, waiting for a response. What we hear next is a familiar voice, but with an unfamiliar anger to it that we've never heard from Zane before. "You are trespassing on the property of Pythor P. Chumsworth. Leave now or I will kill you." Well, didn't see that coming... Cole steps closer. "Zane, don't you remember us? Your friends?" "Do not approach me. Also, the term 'friend' is an unfamiliar term to me, it is not in my database. Leave now. I will kill you if you do not comply." Cole turns to Kai. "He doesn't remember us! We're too late, Pythor must've done something to him." Sensei bows his head, then nods at me. "Get up, Jay. We are leaving." Kai stares at Sensei Wu in disbelief. "Have you gone crazy? Sensei, even if he doesn't remember us, we remember him. We can't just leave! What are you thi-" Kai's rant gets cut short by Sensei's bamboo pole knocking him on the head. "Do not question me." Not wanting to anger Sensei, I manage to pull myself off of the ground, and amble clumsily back to join everyone. Once we're out of the forest, I turn to Sensei. "Why are we leaving him?" Sensei looks back at me. "We aren't. I had to move you all away so that I could tell you our plan."


	8. Chapter Eight: Zane's POV

I know I am not dead, because I am still conscious. I am still here. However, there is nothing more to me than a consciousness. I am being held prisoner in my own mind, forced to watch from within as Pythor's new programming operates my body. Hurting my friends, my brothers. I had to watch as my arm knocked Jay to the ground, his blood seeping into the pristine, crystalline white of the snowy forest floor. I could do nothing about it. I am no longer in physical pain, as there is no longer anything physical to me, but the agony of being out of control is driving me slowly mad. It is as if I am trapped in an indestructible bubble, unable to break out and take myself back. There is nothing that I can do to stop the slave to Pythor's command that my body has become. There is something of a screen in front of me, showing everything that is happening on the outside. Now, "I" am moving towards the hollow tree where I was held captive and reprogrammed. What is Pythor going to make me do now? There is not much worse that he can do, now that he has made me severely injure my brother.


	9. Chapter Nine: Cole's POV

I really don't want to doubt Sensei's wisdom, but I can't say I'm loving his plan. Jay gets to stay in a safe alcove, with Nya tending to his injured shoulder, while Kai and I are putting ourselves back in the line of fire. As we gently leap from branch to branch, I hear Kai muttering through gritted teeth about how if Jay "lays on finger on Nya", he's going to "tear him a new one". The hollow tree is just ahead, so I smack Kai on the head. "I'm going to tear you a new one if you don't shut up. Kai gives me a glare, makes a rude gesture, then pauses. He squints at a figure on the ground, and points at it. "Look, there's Zane. Ready?" "Yeah, ready when you are." Basically, this was Sensei's plan: We find Zane from up in the treetops. If he's got a weapon on him, Kai shoots a burst of fire at his hand to make him drop it. While he's distracted, I jump out of the tree, hopefully landing on him. I quietly pass my scythe to my teammate, so that it doesn't land on top of me after my thirty-foot freefall. "Has he got anything on him?" Kai scrutinizes the figure, which, from this height, appears the size of a toy. "Yeah, there are his shurikens. As soon as the flame hits his hand, jump." Easy for him to say, he gets to stay in the safety of this tree, I have to jump thirty feet and land on top of a violent robot.


	10. Chapter Ten: Kai's POV

What a time for my hands to start shaking. I have to carefully shoot a burst of fire at the hands of one of my best friends, but from a combination of cold and nerves, my black-gloved hands are jittering like a bug. Cole glares at me, then whispers, "What are you waiting for? Shoot!" I reach a hand out to smack him on the head, forgetting that I was holding onto the tree with that hand. Before I know what's going on, I land on top of a very surprised Zane. Luckily, one of his shurikens lands harmlessly in the snow, a few feet away from our jumbled entanglement. However, from the sharp pain in my thigh, I think I know where the other one ended up. I mutter every swear word that I know through my gritted teeth, then glance around for my sword in case I have to fight. I don't have to look for long before I notice the trail of melted snow and smoke leading directly to Zane, my sword buried deep in his sparking abdomen. I watch, terrified, as he lets out an awful mechanized cough and his eyelids flutter shut. "Oh, God," I think to myself, "I just killed one of my best friends." Cole swings down from the tree, landing lightly next to me. "Woah, man, are you alright? That looked like a nasty fall. Hilarious, but nasty. I can't believe-" He stops when he sees the deep, bleeding gash in my thigh, crimson liquid dripping into the pristine white fluff of the forest snow. I bow my head as his eyes shift from my wound to my sword, buried in our brother's now limp body. "Kai, you..." "Don't say it. I know." Nya runs to me, crouches down in the snow, and flings her arms around me. I bury my head in her shoulder, too ashamed to do anything but lay there. Suddenly, there's a loud boom. We all turn to see the door of the hollow tree laying on the ground. A tall figure emerges, his forked tongue flickering in the shadows. "How rude. Not only do you have the audaccccity to intrude on my new base, but now, you've broken my favorite toy."


	11. Chapter Eleven: Zane's POV

What just happened? I saw a flash of red, then my body collapsed to the ground, sparks flying off of my snowy white uniform. I do not know what is going on now, but I know that I can now move instead of being held still. I have my body back, but I am not in a familiar setting. I am standing on something very soft, and I am surrounded by gentle white light. I try to call out to someone, anyone. "Hello? Where am I? What is going on?" From behind me, I hear a kind, familiar voice. "Zane? What are you doing here?" I turn slowly around to face the soft warmth of the rich voice, and find myself face to face with my father. We stand there for a moment, studying each other, before he throws his arms heartily around me. I return the gesture, and we hold each other for the first time in years. As we gently rock back and forth on our feet, I feel a few gentle tears on my clothes. Of course, we are both shedding silent tears, so I can not tell which drops are mine and which are his. When we finally break the embrace, he steps back, giving me a chance to marvel at the large wings of beautiful white feathers on his back, glowing circle over his head, and the happy twinkle in his eyes that I have missed so much in his absence. "So, where are we?" He smiles warmly at me, then replies, "We are now in a calm place, where the sun never sets, where there is no pain, where we are together." I pause for a moment, then fling myself back on the kindred spirit in front of me. "My friends," I think to myself, "Weep for me no longer. I am at peace. Father and son have been reunited. All is well."


	12. Chapter Twelve: Jay's POV

In the brief few moments between Kai's plummet from the tree and now, one of our friends has died. I kneel over Kai, then shift my gaze to the sword in Zane's limp body. I watch as Nya sheds silent tears onto her brother's red robes. The pain that I watch her feel over Zane's death and her brother's injury and guilt is hurting me more than my shoulder. I slip behind her, caressing her hair with my good arm. She sniffs back another tear, then turns and flings her arms fervently around my neck. "Oh, Jay..." I tenderly run my hand up and down her back, feeling each sob she makes as a violent shudder. Cole turns to Sensei, who is slowly making his way towards the depressing scene, then to me. "Jay," he breathes, his voice barely above a whisper, "is there any chance that he's...you know...still alive?" Kai turns sharply to face me. "Yeah, Jay, you know a lot about mechanics, you're an inventor. Can you fix him?" I'm worried that I might already know the answer, but I'll give it a try. "I don't know. Take your sword out so that I can get a better look." I brace myself for the damage that I'll undoubtedly be greeted by upon removal of the golden Sword of Fire. When I finally muster the courage to look down, it looks pretty hopeless. All of Zane's motors, gears, and circuit boards are either crushed to bits from the impact of the razor sharp blade, or warped and melted from the fire. I have to look away from my friends, so I don't have to see the pain in their faces when I deliver the blow. "Guys, even a team of Ninjago's leading robotics experts couldn't help him. He's...gone."


	13. Chapter Thirteen: Cole's POV

I don't care if it isn't manly to cry. My brother just died, and I'm allowed to cry all I want. Kai looks up from Zane's motionless body, and Jay shifts his gaze off of Nya's weeping form. "Whoa, Cole, are you-" "Yeah, I'm crying. What's it to you, Kai?" I lock my eyes with his in an angry gaze, before I feel a constricting grip around my throat. I look down, but there's nothing there. When I feel at my neck, however, a scaly, purple arm manifests, followed by the rest of the cruel Anacondrai, Pythor. "Well done. You've found me. It cccertainly took you long enough, I thought I made my presence perfectly clear earlier. Well, let's see what we've got here. Ah, Sensei Wu. How lovely it is to sssee you. A weak girl, who probably depends on you foolish ninjas. Two wounded ninjas, one broken machine, and..." He glares coldly down at me, tightening his grip around my neck. Before I can react, he takes his other arm out from behind his back, revealing a dagger. I don't get a chance to break out of his grip before the point of the razor-sharp blade is buried deep in my arm, which had been tugging at his to loosen the hold on me. With an evil chuckle, he drops me to the icy ground, making sure that I land on my injured arm. "Make that THREE injured ninjas and a broken machine." Sensei approaches the looming figure, his eyes full of angry vengeance. "How dare you harm my students?" Pythor's steely gaze shifts subtly to Nya. Before I can warn anyone, he throws the dagger at her, nicking her left arm. "Like that," he hisses. "Nya!" Jay cries out, before cringing in pain at the wound in his own shoulder. Suddenly, Sensei is on the ground next to me, Pythor's tail wrapped around his elderly legs. We've all been defeated...


	14. Chapter Fourteen: Zane's POV

I have spent the day with my father at my side. He tells me how proud of me he is, proud of me for fighting for the good of others. "Zane, I'm so sorry I had to leave you alone for so long. What I had to do to you-it never felt right. That's why I was so glad when I saw that the falcon led you to our home. When I saw that you reactivated your memory, that you remembered me, your past, everything, I felt so much relief, like a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. All this time, I've been wishing that I could have spent more time with you." I pause for a moment, then give my father a quizzical expression. "You can see what is happening down there from up here?" "Of course," he replies, "that's how I knew what you were up to after I passed." So that means..."Dad, could I see my friends, and if they're all okay?" He gives me a kind smile. "You certainly can. Just look right down, over the edge of the ground." I hadn't noticed until now, but we appear to be standing on a slab of white ground, suspended in midair. I turn around and run to the edge, my new wings fluttering behind me. When I peer over the edge, I am greeted by a grisly bloodbath. All of my friends have deep, gaping wounds, and Sensei Wu is on the ground, Pythor's tail holding his ankles together. I have to look away when I see my body on the ground, broken and twisted beyond all hope. My father, seeing the look of distress that has crossed my face, flies over to me. "What's the matter, Zane? Is everything alright down there?" "N-no," I stammer, a catch forming in my voice. "My friends. They're all hurt, and on the verge of defeat at the hands of the one who killed me." He puts his arms around me, pulling me into a warm embrace. "Father," I murmur into his shoulder, "I have to go help them." At this, he gently retracts his arms from around my neck, gazing into my eyes with a look of surprise and something unfamiliar, something almost angry. "Zane, I'm not losing you again. I've spent all this time alone up here, waiting for us to be reunited. I don't want to give you up, not right after I finally get to hold you close again." I mull this over, puzzled at his sudden change in temperament, before I turn to him in determination. "I have missed you too, more than you could imagine. However, you once told me that I was built to protect those who cannot protect themselves. I cannot abandon my friends now, when they need me the most. They are all hurt, and I refuse to walk away and leave them to Pythor. I am going to go back down there, and help my friends. There is nothing to stop me. To them, I am more than just a Nindroid. I am a brother, a student, a friend, a mentor. I know I am a son to you, but you do not need my help. They do, and I intend to give it to them." He looks at me with a smile. "I can't express how proud of you I am right now. Go on, help defeat Pythor. Your friends need you." "Thank you." "Oh, and Zane?" "Yes?" "I love you. Promise you'll return someday?" I shed a silent tear, then throw my arms around my father's neck. "Of course."


	15. Chapter Fifteen: Jay's POV

Pythor's forked tongue flicks menacingly across his pristine fangs, his cruel eyes piercing us all as they glance over the sad scene that has played out in front of him. "Oh, what fun! I would jussst love to stay out and play, but if you don't mind, I've got an army to build." I lay on the ground next to Nya, using my blue sleeve to soak the blood from her arm as she sobs violently into my shoulder. I can tell that she's not crying about the wound, even though it is fairly deep, but rather her tears are being shed over the current state of affairs. I guess we could use our weapons if we wanted to, but our low morale has seemingly drained all of our will to fight. Besides, what's the point? Pythor's got us creamed. We all watch as he retreats back towards the hollow tree, winking coldly at us as he nears the door. Suddenly, a blinding flash of light surges out from what seems like every direction at once. When the dazzling spectacle fades, Pythor is writhing in the snow, pinned to the ground by what seems like an invisible object. Kai tries to jump up and get in a fighting stance, but is unable to do so with his hurt leg. "Do not worry," states a warm, familiar voice, "I am here to help." Everyone stares at the source, a sparkling patch of blue and purple light swirling over Pythor. Slowly, the light begins to materialize into the form of a person. When the light stops changing, we can all see what's really holding Pythor down...  
Zane.


	16. Chapter Sixteen: Cole's POV

"What?!? Zane! You're alive!" "Let us not try to figure out what I am at this point. Let us, as Cole might say, kick some Pythor tail!" In disbelief, I jump off of the ground, surprised enough to ignore my wound, and grab my scythe. When I stand up, it seems to motivate everyone around me. "You got it, buddy. Ninja-GO!" The familiar dirt-brown tornado of Spinjitsu whirls up, engulfing me in a fighting spirit. "EARTH!" Kai jumps up and spins. "FIRE!" Nya, in an attempt to encourage Jay, gives him a passionate kiss on the lips. Suddenly, it's as if Jay was never hurt in the first place. He springs to his feet, grabs his nunchucks, and whirls about, adding to the action. "LIGHTNING!" I glance at Zane, floating inches off of the ground, not quite able to touch. Through the soil and snow flurrying about me, I see that he is desperately trying to perform Spinjitsu alongside us, but is unable to without his body. "It is no use! I can not spin! What do I-" Sensei holds up his hand, silencing him instantly. "Zane, this fight belongs to the other ninja. You have been through enough as it is." At this, Zane glances down at the ground, disappointed, before glaring at Sensei. Oh, this oughtta be interesting. "No! I will not stand by during this fight! I will not allow my friends, my BROTHERS, to fight without me! We are a team! This is my fight as much as theirs!" Noticing the tension and lack of focus from his captor, Pythor attempts to escape. Before he can even move one inch, we surround him with our three Spinjitsu tornadoes. "You're not going anywhere!" Jay swings his nunchucks about, zapping Pythor's tail. He whips it up, catching Jay on the chest. The sheer weight of it knocks Jay to the ground, stopping his spin. In retaliation, Kai punches Pythor square in the eye. Pythor writhes about, a bruise already forming. I glance back, to see if Zane and Sensei are still arguing, but Zane is gone. Out of nowhere, Sensei grabs one of Zane's shuriken out of the snow. With a sickening noise, the shuriken is buried in Pythor's throat. The great purple snake creature coughs terrible mouthfuls of blood, which only become bigger as Sensei hurls the other one a few inches down from the first. Jay stops, runs behind a tree, and does something that he claims is "polishing his nunchucks" but sounds suspiciously like puking. When he returns, everyone is staring at Sensei, shocked at this sudden change in behavior. "Sensei, what the heck did you just do?" With a mischevious grin, he replies, "Sensei did nothing." I think that the old man's finally lost it...  
until the pale form of Zane's angel separates himself from Sensei.


	17. Chapter Seventeen: Zane's POV

"Zane! What the heck man, that was YOU?!?" Jay cries out, before "polishing his nunchucks" behind another tree. I grin, then turn to Sensei Wu. "Master Sensei, I am terribly sorry. I did not wish to disrespect you, or use you, but if I did not take over you, I could not fight. I was only trying to help my friends." It seems that I can possess others in my current state, but if I am not within someone else's body, I cannot fight. Everyone looks at Sensei, expecting him to be seething with rage, but he appears calm, with even a faint smile playing upon his wrinkled face. "My student, I cannot be angry with you for helping your brothers. We are just...happy to have you back. He tries to pat me on the back, but his hand goes right through me. I sigh. As nice as it is to be able to fight alongside my fellow ninja, I miss being myself. I cannot feel the bracing chill of the snow falling all about me, or the warmth of my brothers' bodies as we huddle together. I stare at the ground, depressed. Suddenly, everyone turns to look at Kai, who has apparently started...crying? "Kai, why're you crying?" Cole inquires, placing his hand on Kai's back. "Because, this was all my fault. I killed Zane. If I hadn't fallen out of that stupid tree-" "Kai, you did not kill me. You set me free. I was trapped inside my own mind, watching Pythor's programming harm you all. Once my body was destroyed, I was able to see my father. My FATHER, Kai. He told me that he's proud of me. I got to see him again, and I never thought that would happen. Thank you." At this, Kai lifts his head and wipes his eyes on his robe. "Really?" I move closer to him. "Really." Jay shifts his gaze to meet mine. "By the way, Zane, did you ever find your falcon?" I frown, but then realize something. The only reason I wanted to find my falcon was because of my father, but now, I got to spend an entire day with him. I do not need my falcon anymore. I nod my head. "However, I do not think we will be seeing much of him anymore." Nya pulls out a cell phone, flips it open, and dials a number. "Lloyd, we found him. Bring the Bounty to the forest." When Lloyd arrives, we all board the Bounty, and explain everything to Lloyd. "So you're...dead?" When he asks this, I realize that I do not know if I am dead, alive, or was even alive in the first place.  
All I know is that I still have my friends, and am ready to fight.  
I am prepared for whatever comes our way next.  
I am more than just a Nindroid.

THE END


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